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The cliffs and glaciers of Sam Ford Fjord (Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti) on the northeast side of Canada’s Baffin Island in the Arctic Territory of Nunavut, as seen from an upper deck of our ship

One of the great experiences on our expedition through the Northwest Passage this summer was taking helicopter flights over regions that we sailed through. Our first flight was after our brief stop at Clyde River in southern Baffin Island in the territory of Nunavut, Canada, in the eastern region of the Canadian Arctic, where the helicopter joined our ship on deck 7’s forward helicopter pad. Shown below are some photos of Sam Ford Fjord (Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti) from the ship before our helicopter ride and a photo from our apartment’s deck as we sailed out of the fjord. The fjord is highly regarded for the harsh beauty of its landscapes with rocky cliffs rising steeply from the shore. The fjord is 110 kilometers (68 miles) long. Above the cliffs are numerous glaciers which we flew over (and photographed). The cliffs rise steeply (some go straight up) from the fjord’s shores to heights up to 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) above sea level.

“Sam Ford Fjord (Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti) lies on Baffin Island’s northeastern coast in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut. It was named in memory of Sam Ford. Ford is recognized as Canada’s most outstanding Inuk linguist and died tragically in a helicopter crash. The Inuit settlement of Pond Inlet is 320 km to the northwest. Sam Ford Fjord is a traditional hunting area for the Inuit.” — https://canadac3.ca/en/expedition/the-places/sam-ford-fiord/

A close up of a glacier flowing down to Sam Ford Fjord (Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti) on the northeast side of Canada’s Baffin Island in the Arctic Territory of Nunavut

Aerial photo of Sam Ford Fjord (Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti), Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, #3 — take away the water and the ice and the rock formations look like some areas in the Southwest of the United States

The rock face of one of the sheer cliffs in Sam Ford Fjord (Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti), Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, as seen on a Zodiac cruise through the fjord from our ship (in the afternoon, after the helicopter flight)

A hanging glacier flowing down one of the sheer cliffs in Sam Ford Fjord (Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti), Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, with melt water from under the glacier exiting into the fjord as a thundering, large waterfall, as seen on a Zodiac cruise through the fjord from our ship

A close up of the hanging glacier and its waterfall flowing down one of the sheer cliffs (above) in Sam Ford Fjord (Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti), Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada

The view of Sam Ford Fjord (Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti) from our apartment’s deck as we sailed out of the fjord, Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada